First Lady goes after Jimmy Kimmel’s ‘expectant widow’ joke
Following off-color comments from late-night host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel, First Lady Melania Trump called on ABC to “take a stand,” especially following Saturday night’s attempted shooting at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner
by Summer Lane | April 27, 2026
First Lady Melania Trump on Monday heavily implied that late-night host Jimmy Kimmel should be taken off the air following a comment he made during a mock White House Correspondents’ Dinner bit that aired last week.
“Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country,” Mrs. Trump said in an official statement.
Her comments come just two days after the real WHCD on Saturday was interrupted by a lone gunman who fired off several shots just outside the banquet room. The suspect was apprehended and allegedly identified later as Cole Allen of California.
The First Lady, the President of the United States, and most of the senior cabinet were on-site at the event. All were evacuated immediately, but the unthinkable security breach has left lingering questions and concerns.
Mrs. Trump continued in her statement, “[Kimmel’s] monologue about my family isn’t comedy- his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America. People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate.”
Kimmel’s comedy routine was aired last week, and although it was filmed before the WHCD incident, it has been received fairly poorly in light of the current situation.
“Our First Lady, Melania, is here,” Kimmel said in the bit, describing her as “beautiful” and having the “glow of an expectant widow.”
He also added later, in a jab at President Trump’s previous Truth Social post (now deleted) depicting himself as Jesus Christ, “By the way, in the unfortunate event that our president has a medical emergency tonight, do we have a doctor in the house — oh, I’m sorry. I mean, do we have a Jesus in the house? I always confuse them, too.”
Mrs. Trump slammed Kimmel as a “coward” who “hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him.”
She added, “Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community.”
Last year, Kimmel was suspended from ABC for comments he made about the late Charlie Kirk, who was brutally assassinated in September 2025. His show was later reinstated.
